The present invention relates to a management system for protection and temporal erasion of digital information containing still picture information.
The present invention more particularly relates to a system of performing setting of an erase prohibition flag (protect information) for a program comprising a set of one or more still pictures, setting of a temporary erase flag (TE) for each still picture within attribute information (S_VOB_ENT#) of the still picture, or various re-setting where an erase prohibition flag is set for a still picture within a prescribed range.
Recently, digital cameras have been prevalently used as media for digitally recording still image information. In addition to a case of digital camera, digitally-recorded still picture information is utilized as menu pictures for DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) video system in which movie information is digitally recorded and/or played back.
In a digital camera, individual sensed or photographed still pictures are stored as different files. When each still picture information is saved or stored as an independent file, the following problems occur:
a] Since still pictures are not grouped by similarity of contents or closeness of image sensing (photographing) times, it becomes troublesome to manage and search individual still pictures. In other words, it becomes troublesome to check the still picture information because it is necessary to open respective files in order to confirm the contents thereof.
b] When a plurality of pieces of still picture information are to be processed in a recordable/reproducible DVD_RTR system (DVD real time recording system), compatibility and continuity with a current DVD Video system cannot be maintained.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a protection/temporary-erase management system for digital information pertaining to a plurality of pieces of still picture information, while assuring, in a DVD_RTR recording/reproducing (or playing back) system which ensures certain compatibility and continuity with a current DVD Video system, consistency or continuity of a recording format and management information between moving and still pictures.
To achieve the above object, an information storage medium (1001 in FIG. 1A) used in the management system according to the present invention can record predetermined control information (RTR_VMG in FIG. 39) and one or more programs (PG#2, etc. in FIG. 41) containing one or more still pictures (B1 to B162 in FIG. 41).
The predetermined control information (RTR_VMG/PGI/PG_TY in FIG. 39) includes, in unit of a program (e.g., PG#2 in FIG. 41), (rewritable) protect information for prohibiting erase of a program.
The information storage medium (1001 in FIG. 1A) used in the management system according to the present invention can record predetermined control information (RTR_VMG in FIG. 39) and one or more programs (PG#2, etc. in FIG. 41) containing video object groups (VOG#B, VOG#E, and VOG#F in FIG. 41) each comprised of one or more still pictures (B1 to B80; B81 to B99; and B100 to B162 in FIG. 41).
The predetermined control information (RTR_VMG/S_VOGI#/S_VOB_ENT_TY in FIG. 40) includes, in units of video object groups (VOG#C and VOG#F in FIG. 41), (rewritable) temporary erase information (TE in FIG. 40) for setting a video object group to a temporarily erased state.
The information storage medium (1001 in FIG. 1A) used in the management system according to the present invention includes a first recording area (1011 in FIG. 1D) capable of recording predetermined control information (RTR_VMG) and a second recording area (1013 in FIG. 1D) capable of recording still picture data.
In the present invention, an unrecorded area (1460 in FIG. 4) can be set in at least either of the first recording area (1011 in FIG. 1D) and second recording area (1013 in FIG. 1D). The distribution of position of the unrecorded area on the information storage medium can be specified by position distribution information (1621 in FIG. 5). The position distribution information (1621 in FIG. 5) is management information (1621 in FIG. 5) pertaining to unrecorded areas (1460 in FIG. 4) within the first recording area (1011 in FIG. 1D) and second recording area (1013 in FIG. 1D).
In a protect information management method according to the present invention, rewritable protect information for prohibiting erase of a program is written in predetermined control information (RTR_VMG/PGI/PG_TY in FIG. 39) in unit of a program (e.g., PG#2 in FIG. 41).
In the protect information management method according to the present invention, rewritable temporary erase information (TE in FIG. 40) for setting a video object group to a temporarily erased state is written in the predetermined control information (RTR_VMG/S_VOGI#/S_VOB_ENT_TY in FIG. 40) in units of video object groups (VOG#C and VOG#F in FIG. 41).
In a program erase prohibition state change method according to the present invention, when a predetermined program (PG#2 in FIG. 41) containing a plurality of still pictures (B1 to B162 in FIG. 41) is in an erase prohibition state (protect information in FIG. 39 is 1b),
if the erase prohibition state of the predetermined program (PG#2) is changed (the erase prohibition range=protect range is changed from B1 to B162 to B1 to B80 in FIG. 41),
a combination of still pictures forming a video object group (VOG#B) is re-defined (step ST102, ST104, and ST108 in FIG. 42; VOG#B=B1 to B162 in FIG. 41 is re-defined as VOG#B=B1 to B80, VOG#E=B81 to B99, and VOG#F=B100 to B162), and
program numbers are newly assigned to the redefined video object groups (VOG#B, VOG#E, and VOG#F) (step ST102, ST106, and ST110 in FIG. 42; VOG#B=PG#2, VOG#E=PG#4, and VOG#F=part of PG#5).
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.